Annular venturi



SePt- 7, 1965 T. T. HADELER 3,204,862

ANNULAR VENTURI Filed May 8, 1963 '3l lo Fig.2

INVENTOR Theodore T Had eler l ORNE Y United States Patent O 3,204,862 ANNULAR VENTURI Theodore T. Iladeler, Montvale, NJ., assignor to Specialties Development Corporation, Belleville, NJ., `a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mlay 8, 1963, Ser. No. 278,948 13 Claims. (Cl. 2`30-95) The present invention relates to gas pumps, and, more particularly, to aspirating apparatus adapted to inflate various inflatable structures such as rafts, boats, escape chutes, cushions and the like by means of a relatively large volume of gas at a relatively low pressure.

Heretofore, jet pumps operated by a gaseous fluid under pressure have been utilized for entraining ambient air and directing the mixture into the structure to be inflated. Such pumps included a venturi which was lengthy and/ or bulky and which was required to be mounted within the inflatable structure, whereby considerable difficulty was experienced in folding the structure, when deflated into a compact package. Also, such venturis are generally inelllcient.

According, an object of the present invention is to provide improved jet jump apparatus which is extremely small and compact but yet has high performance capabilities.

Another object is to provide such apparatus which has a closure associated therewith.

A further object is to provide such apparatus which is simple and economical in construction and is reliable in operation.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred 4 to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon ernployment of the invention in practice.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects generally are accomplished by providing apparatus comprising a ring having a central opening, a plate facing the ring, the ring and the plate having concentric radially flared annular zones constructed and arranged to provide an annular venturi having a flared inlet section, a flared outlet section and a throat between these sections, nozzle means for directing an annular zone of gaseous medium under pressure into the inlet section, and means for mounting the nozzle means between the ring and the plate and attaching the plate to the ring.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an annular venturi illustrating one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 2-2 on FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a View similar to FIG. 2 illustrating another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown apparatus which generally comprises a ring 10, a plate 11 facing the ring, the ring and the plate being constructed and arranged to provide an annular Venturi as will be described in detail hereinafter, nozzle means 12 for directing gaseous medium under pressure into the venturi, and strucure 14 for mounting the nozzle means and attaching the ring to the plate.

The ring has a central opening 15 surrounded by an upwardly extending flared sleeve 16 through which ambient air is entrained; and has a flange section formed with an inner annular outwardly and downwardly slanting portion 17 and with an outer annular inwardly and downwardly slanting portion 18 which meets the portion 17 at an angle of about 145 to provide an annular depending zone 19. The peripheral zone of the ring portion 18 is suitablyv secured within an opening formed in the wall W of an inflatable device.

The plate 11 has a central well 20 facing the opening of the ring and being of about equal diameter as this opening; and has a flange section below and facing the flange section of the ring which is formed with an inner annular inwardly and downwardly slanting portion 21 and with an outer annular outwardly and downwardly slanting portion 22 which meets the portion 21 at an angle of about 145 to provide an annular projecting zone 24.

The venturi as Shown in FIG. 2, has a flared inlet section 25 provided by the slanted portions 17 and 21, a flared outlet section 26 provided by the slanted portions 18 and 22, and a throat 27 between the inlet and outlet sections provided by the annular zones 19 and 24. The

inlet section 25 is located between the Sleeve 16 and they wall 20.

The nozzle means 12 is a hollow ring 28 at the entrance of the inlet section 25 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially outwardly facing apertures 29 for directing an annular zone composed of jets of gaseous medium under pressure into the venturi inlet section 25.

The mounting structure 14 includes a hollow body 30 connected to sleeve 16 of the ring 10 by radial rods 31 and a tube 32 extending into the body and in iluid flow communication with a source of gaseous medium under pressure (not shown), a stern 34 for connecting the plate 11 to the body 30, and a plurality of radial tubes 35 for supporting the nozzle means ring 28 having their inner end in flow communication with the interior of the body 30 and having their outer end in flow communication with the bore of the ring 28, whereby the tube 32 can supply the pressure medium to the ring and the plate 11 is supported within the inflatable device below the ring 10.

The apparatus so far described can be constructed and arranged to enable the plate 11 to serve as a closure for the opening 15. This is accomplished by providing the body 30 with an upright stepped cylinder 36 at its lower end having a slidable piston 37 therein which is connected to the stem 34, whereby the. plate 11 moves with the piston.

A spring 38 under compression and disposed between the underside of the piston 37 and the lower end wall of the cylinder 36 normally urges the piston upward# ly so that the piston moves the plate upwardly and the annular zones 19 and 24 at the venturi throat are brought into engagement. When the pressure medium is introduced into cylinder at is upper end to overcome the spring 38, the piston and the plate move downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 2 whereby the annular venturi is established and the inflatable device is inflated. The cylinder 36 has a step 33 which serves as a stop for the piston to properly position the ring 10 and the plate 11 with respect to each other so that an annular venturi of predetermined performance capabilities is established. As the pressure of the medium decays, the spring 38 again is effective to move the plate 11 upwardly to close olf the opening 15 and retain the inflation medium within the inflatable device by the seal at the zones 19 and 24.

The ring 10 and the plate 11 may be constructed of a plastic resin which by its nature would provide a good sealing surface when the annular zones 19 and 24 engage. However, either one or both of these zones may have a sealing ring 39 thereon whereby the ring and the plate could be constructed of metal.

In FIG. 3, apparatus is shown which essentially is the same as that described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, and like reference numerals are applied to like or functionally equivalent parts. The significant differences are that the ring 10 and the plate 11 are inverted with the plate positioned above the ring at the exterior of the in- 3 flatable device, the venturi is reversed in the sense that ow through its throat 27 is radially inwardly rather than outwardly, and the nozzle means ring 2S surrounds the venturi inlet section 25, rather than being within it, and has radially inwardly facing apertures 29.

In this modiied arrangement, the ring 28 is structurally connected for -support to the ring 10, and a tube 32 supplies the pressure medium directly to the ring 28. The body 30 is supported on the ring 10 by rods 31 at its lower end and the piston cylinder 36 is connected to the supply tube 32 by a conduit 40. The compression spring 38 is disposed between the upper face of the piston 37 and upper end wall of the cylinder 36 So that the spring normally urges the piston and the plate downwardly to seal the opening 15. When the pressure medium is applied, it acts on the underside of the piston whereby the piston is moved upwardly to position the plate 11 as shown and to thereby establish the annular venturi.

From the foregoing description it will be seen, that the present invention provides a simple, compact and efcient annular venturi.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

I claim:

1. Apparatus comprising a ring having a central uid flow conducting opening, a plate having a central imperforate section facing said opening in said ring, said ring and said plate having concentric radially flared annular zones constructed and arranged to provide an annular venturi having a ared inlet section, a flared outlet section and a throat between said sections, nozzle means for radially directing an annular zone of gaseous medium under pressure into Said inlet section, and means for mounting said nozzle means between said ring and said plate and mounting said plate on said ring.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plate is below said ring and said Venturi outlet section surrounds said venturi inlet section.

3. Apparatus accordingto claim 2, wherein said ring has an upwardly extending sleeve connected at the opening thereof for entraining ambient air.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plate is above said ring and said venturi inlet section surrounds said venturi outlet section.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said central section of said plate has a well therein facing the opening of said ring.

ing means include elements for moving said plate with respect to said ring to establish the annular venturi and to cause said plate and said ring to engage at said venturi throat to render said ring opening ineffective.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle means is a tubular ring having circumferentially spaced apertures facing said inlet section.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes structural elements secured to said ring and said plate and having said nozzle means secured thereto.

10. Apparatus according -to claim 9, wherein said structural elements include a cylinder secured to said ring and having an inlet for fluid medium under pressure, a piston in said cylinder having a stem secured to said plate to mount said plate for movement away from said ring when uid medium under pressure enters said cylinder, and a spring opposing movement of said piston to effect movement of said plate towards said ring and in engagement therewith at said throat when there is no fluid medium under pressure in said cylinder.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, including annular sealing means at said throat.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, including means for securing said ring within an opening formed in an inflatable device, whereby said plate serves as a closure for the opening ofthe device.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said nozzle means is secured to said mounting means structural elements, said cylinder has an outlet and said nozzle 'means has an inlet connected in fluid ow communica- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,282,595 10/18 Kothny etal 230-112 1,296,567 3/19 Suczek 230-95 X 1,563,752 12/25 Kothny 230-95 LAURENCE V. EFNER, Primary Examiner.

WARREN E. COLEMAN, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS COMPRISING A RING HAVING A CENTRAL FLUID FLOW CONDUCTING OPENING, A PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL IMPERFORATE SECTION FACING SAID OPENING IN SAID RING, SAID RING AND SAID PLATE HAVING CONCENTRIC RADIALLY FLARED ANNULAR ZONES CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR VENTURI HAVING A FLARED INLET SECTION, A FLARED OUTLET SECTION AND A THROAT BETWEEN SAID SECTIONS, NOZZLE MEANS FOR RADIALLY DIRECTING AN ANNULAR ZONE OF GASEOUS MEDIUM UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID INLET SECTION, AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID NOZZLE MEANS BETWEEN SAID RING AND SAID PLATE AND MOUNTING SAID PLATE ON SAID RING. 